Friday Flotsam

It’s one of those things that I’ve tried forever to get on board with. Every year, I try. And every year, I can’t. And truthfully, it’s something I’ve known about about myself, I think my whole life, but I’ve never quite been able to face it.

Until today.

I HATE POMEGRANATE.

Hate it! Hate it, hate it, hate it.

Those disgusting seeds are Satan’s hemorrhoids.

First of all, they taste like donkey. Bitter, slimy turd pods. Nope.

And you know how people slice them in half with a perfect smile on their face, and then they gently tap the hemorrhoids out of fruit with a gorgeous wooden spoon? And they fall like a delicate snow shower into a giant bowl in less than 10 seconds? You know what happens when I do that?

NOTHING.

NOTHING HAPPENS. I end up looking like a wolf chewing on a deer in the night, trying to get those dern things out.

This is the year. This is the year I’m proclaiming NO POMEGRANATE AT THE HOLIDAYS. STOP IT.

Wow, I feel better, you guys.

Yesterday I went to a cute little holiday styling workshop at my favorite lifestyle store in town (WAY TO CHANGE GEARS THERE, BEV.), and so I thought it might be fun to share with you what I learned!

You’re like, if you even tell me to put away my giant inflatable Santa we are THROUGH. (never, dude. never.)

Much of the style philosophy shared yesterday is already something that runs through my blood like a tsunami, BUT – I didn’t know one thing. Plaid is back! PLAID. IS. BACK. I can dig this.

Here’s what the cute hostess who’s probably in her early 30s because she zero jowls shared:

Think shine, fresh, and cozy.

YES YES AND YES.

She shared that you don’t to necessarily change your entire house, because that’s stupid and obnoxious. (just kidding she didn’t say that.) But concentrate on three areas – your lounge area (like, coffee table and sofa), dinner table (just for the big meal), and your entryway. (AND THE MANTEL, duh.) Something simple like swapping in pillows with extra texture can cozy up your couch for the season. And then like, put something minimal but festive on your coffee table, just to change up the look. (like wooden stackable gnomes or a bowl of vintage ornaments that your kids will shatter. Yeah, I won’t be doing that part.)

For the fresh, she said anything real, from nature will add that perfect festive touch. Yep yep yep. I always go outside and mangle our pine tree with rusty scissors, JUST SO I CAN HAVE A PRETTY MANTEL. #fact

And for shine, something obviously like candles. Tealights, monochromatic pillars, anything that keeps the feel cohesive. I would even go a step further and say that with SHINE, add MUTED TONES. Like eucalyptus, homemade beeswax candles, anything pale and faded is just beautiful next to shine.

And plaid! Who knew. Who freaking knew.

Now I’m going to be obsessed with plaid.

(this isn’t sponsored, by the way. just me telling you girlie stuff, LIKE WE’RE IN A PILLOW FIGHT.)

Okay, matcha update.

I’ve made THREE matcha tea lattes so far. I think they’re lattes because I’ve been adding almond milk and honey to them. Because listen, if I don’t add that honey, it tastes like death and regret.

I think I’m liking it! BUT HERE’S MY QUANDARY. The bamboo whisk isn’t getting me the froth I want. So I followed the one main tip that lots and lots and LOTS of you gave me in Stories. And that is to blend it. In a blender. And I’ll say, that worked perfectly. Five seconds in the blender and it’s gorgeously frothy.

BUUUT, that means lugging out the blender. Das a lotta work for TEA, yo.

Tell me, will a frother give me the same result as the blender? Like this thing! Handheld, not huge, doesn’t make me hate life.

You just stick it in the mug, right? Flip the switch and it goes, right? Doesn’t spew froth all over your counter and face and hair, right? Stays in the mug, right? Works like a charm, right?

Right?

Weekend plans?

I have a giant holiday shoot today (NO POMEGRANATES), and then I’m going treadmill shopping tomorrow morning! Per your suggestion, I’m gonna run on a bunch FIRST to see what I like. And go from there. Then after that I’m heading straight to the nail salon to meet my birthday bestie with a bottle of wine because I’m sure to be super stressed out after all that treadmill testing.

Oh! One final question. I’ve got only two (2!) open spots on the blog for the rest of the year. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE? Obviously I’ve got cheesy holiday appies coming, some roasted potatoes, a beefy pot pie with biscuits, some cheesy no-knead bread, the Christmas mixtape (!), and some other fun stuff. But – what do you want to see (and eat) before the end of the year? I welcome all suggestions.

You have to do a tribute post to the TMBC Singing Christmas Tree! I just heard from Linda Rutledge that this is the LAST YEAR of our beloved holiday tradition!!! There has to be something about this committed to posterity because it consumed years of both of our lives.!

I have an aerolatte little frother thing and LOVE it...absolutely love it. That link looks pretty darn similar. Just make sure that the type of battery it uses is one that is easy to replace. The battery holding area looks smaller than the aerolatte one I have, I'd hate you find out you had to buy 23 weird batteries that no where carries and then have to purchase new ones every 3 weeks or so. I've never changed my batteries, I have owned it for more than 5 years I think. I go through phases of using it and phases of it sitting dormant. Takes no space, super easy to clean (turn it on under some soap suds and hot water, let it spin clean, rinse. I usually do it all under a running faucet. I've at times not left enough empty space in the cup and a vortex of liquid has overflowed my cup but as long as you turn it on while in the liquid, you shouldn't shoot hot magma everywhere.

I just cry-laughed through all of that. Death to all pomegratananans..! I dont even care how its spelled. For a Danish-Canadian missing her family and second home dramatically every Christmas; an eggnog recepie? Maybe its to plain for ya. But thats what I crave and miss and lust for.

“Satan hemorrhoids”......I am laughing my donkey off! You just killed me, guhl. I have to confess...I love pomegranate, but I can NEVER get them out, without squishing most of them, and making a giant mess; so I had to give them up. Yep. Let the professionals have them. I’ll eat them in something already prepared, but not going through the angst anymore. I don’t fix fru-fru drinks, so can’t offer any input on the frothing thing; good luck on that one. And, MOST of all, thank you MUCH for the belly laugh!!!

Okay I have been checking out this blog for a while and I feel now is the time to admit I do not understand the photos; like, are they all ones you took or a mix of personal and "other"? I have gotten far enough to figure out that they are from Pinterest but like, I often want more info such as where can I buy all of the stuff for the festive place settings in your second photo? HELP. Thanks!

Yep! Friday Flotsam is a collection of photos that I've all taken either during the past week, or recently. Just lifestyle photos from my eye. They're not from Pinterest, unless I pinned them or someone else pinned them. They're all mine! If you have a question about something IN a photo, I'm happy to tell you the source. The linens and dishware in the second photo are from a place called Golden and Pine, which I linked in the post! Hopes this helps. :)

I look forward to hear the Christmas playlist! :) and would also like to see a gift guide, although as I live in Copenhagen Denmark, I am not sure if I could get the gifts here, but I love your taste so it would work great as an inspiration :)

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About Bev

Welcome! Bev Weidner is a food blogger, an obsessed photo-taker of her twins, a wifester, a cheese lover, a musician, a runner, knows every word and lyric to The Sound of Music, and a continual changer of hair-er. And she just said all of that in third person.
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